Tie Blog

Even less to say. Necktie is an older Talbott Best of class. I decided to give it a go paired up with my TM Lewin St. James cutaway collar, thinking it would produce a substantial enough four-in-hand to fill the tie space. I’d say the experiment was fairly successful.

Part of the reason it took a while to get this one and the next one up is that there’s really not much to say. Pretty standard stuff. Not that many of the others that I’ve posted are incredibly out of the norm.

This particular necktie is a XMI Platinum. Not a bad tie at all in its day but it is a dated, wide tie. I can’t imagine the knot this one would produce if tied in anything more substantial than the four-in-hand pictured here. The pattern is pretty timeless in its simplicity. I really should look into skinying up some of my older neckwear.

Both left and right images are a four-in-hand knot. The one on the left is how I normally tie my tie. What’s different, you might ask. Simple. With the knot on the left I started with the blade (apron) or wide end on my left. With the one on the right, I started with it on the right. The knot was formed in exactly the same place on the length of the tie but the one on the right is noticeably more asymmetrical. I’m one that likes my knots a little asymmetrical but the one on the right is a little too much.

It’s not the tie itself. I’ve done this with several neckties over the years. Just for grins. So what is it? The bias? I honestly don’t know.

I tried a similar experiment with a Half Windsor knot too:

Here’s the deal – with the Half Windsor I start with the wide end on the right but the way I tie it the blade’s last pass across the front is still from left to right. It’s less noticeable with a Half Windsor knot but there is a bit more asymmetricity there. (Is that a word? Firefox doesn’t think so.) In fact, from now on, if I decide to dimple a Half-Windsor instead of a Four-in-Hand, I will start with the blade on the left instead of the right.

There are two ways to tie a Half Windsor knot, according to totieatie.com: Method 1 and Method2. As I said, I use Method 1 but I used to begin with the wide end on my right. I am a bit left handed for some things and a bit right handed for others. Maybe that’s why I’ve always switched up the beginning side for the blade depending on which knot I was tying. I can find no other name for Method 1 but Method 2 is the more conventional way of tying a Half Windsor. Brooks Brothers site says that’s the way to tie it. Who am I to argue with them?

Anyways, a bonus Sunday post. This was my church getup today. Usually I just recycle my Sunday combination sometime during the week. I decided to try a Sunday post since I will not be knotted up for Memorial Day. My thoughts and prayers with those who have fallen, their families and friends, and those yet in harm’s way.

I’ve read here and there that black and blue combinations are verboten. The the necktie said I could do it so I did. This is another older, fat tie from Jos Bank and has a nifty swirly, flowery vine subtly woven into the design.

I know I’ve mentioned the taper in the blade of ties before. I decided to do a little comparison today. Hence this picture:

Hopefully with that picture, it’s clear what I mean by taper. The bottom tie is about 3/8″ wider than the one on top yet in the area where the each would be knotted, they are approximately the same width. The end result is that each knots very similarly but the top tie is a much more stylish, skinny. Or something.

Yup! One hundredth post. I know there aren’t 100 different ties like my friend Brooke over on 100 days, 100 ties. In fact Brooke has surpassed the two century mark in that regard, if I’m not mistaken. Brooke and Will over on 100 Days of Ties got me going on doing a blog about my daily getups. I hadn’t really thought about it before and it’s been pretty fun. There must be some interest in the whole dressing up thingy because I get about 10 visits a day. I think that’s pretty good since I’m not really trying very hard for that. Of course I don’t have anything to compare it to.

Looking back, one of the things that sticks with me is how many different looks I can get with a handful of suits and another handful of sport coats and a bunch of different shirts and ties. Hell, even a white shirt can be made to look a lot different when paired with various suits and ties.

And speaking of a white dress shirt, given the pinstripe suit and semi-wild necktie I really couldn’t talk myself into anything other than a white shirt. I really like the big, fat herringbone pattern on this Paul Fredrick tie. But I don’t like the fat width and monstrous knot that comes with it. So be it.

This is what I have on right here and now. Yeah, I skipped tying one on yesterday. My work yesterday included some not so clean activities so I chose to protect my nicer clothes. I find it nice that I am not required to wear coat/suit and tie. I choose to do so. Why? Dunno. Prolly something in my childhood that I should blame on my parents or something. I enjoy it. If suit and tie were required I don’t think I would enjoy it quite as much. That and I’d look like everyone else.

Today is actually a coat and tie day. Stripes and checks up top and solid, tan trousers below the bottom of the picture. The tie is another Hilfiger that I picked up the same day I nabbed the Stephen Colbert inspired blue/navy stripe.